Audio of Constitution for visually impaired ‘soon come’

| 05/12/2016 | 7 Comments

(CNS): More than seven years after the Cayman Islands Constitution was implemented and three years after the Bill of Rights came into effect, the Constitutional Commission has revealed plans for an audio version for the visually impaired. The commission said the project was in “the preliminary stages” and said they hoped to have it completed “in the near future”. In a press release Friday, the commission pointed to the 2010 census, which recorded almost 3,000 people with sight problems in Cayman that have not had access to this “fundamental document of civic engagement”.

The project, which is to be completed in partnership with the Human Rights Commission, will take the Constitution, currently only available in written English, and make it available in audio format similar to a digital audiobook that can be accessed for free.

“The idea for the audio constitution came about because a member of the public who has a visual impairment inquired with Commissions Secretariat as to how they could access a version of the Constitution,” said Constitutional Commission Chair Vaughan Carter.  “With a primary element of the commission’s mandate being ‘to promote understanding and awareness of [the] Constitution and its values’, we were inspired to address this deficit in a meaningful way so that persons with visual impairments can properly engage with the Constitution,” he said.

According to a release from the commission, he 2010 Census recorded that over 5% of the total Cayman Islands population, some 2,993 people, reported known sight disabilities and it is anticipated that all such persons, including persons with congenital visual impairments as well as acquired impairments and groups such as the elderly who are particularly susceptible to visual deterioration, will benefit from this project.

For more information about the Constitutional Commission go to  www.knowyourconstitution.ky or call 244-3685.

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Category: Health, Laws, Medical Health, Politics

Comments (7)

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  1. Ben Farrington says:

    5% of the population? Typical liberals focusing on the minorities to appear like good hearted people.
    When all else fails, make the crying child laugh.

  2. Anonymous says:

    I will buy 3 copies is the Jordanian narrated it. And im not even blind. Thank Jah

  3. Anonymous says:

    It is not only blind people who have not seen it. The civil service need a means of reading it too.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Finally the handful of blind people can share in the grim realiziations of the sighted, literate, citizenry, that our Constitution and human rights can be cast aside at any time for any reason without repercussion. They will certainly be thrilled to finally learn it’s not any special persecution they’ve experienced, but a uniform glaze of political expediency and electioneering applied to all with equality. Unless, of course, you’re both blind and gay, then “Lord help you”.

  5. H. Keller says:

    When is the audio version of this article being released? I’m curious as to its content.

  6. Anonymous says:

    what about blind and deaf people???

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